searles m



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER VAN ZILE, SEARLES M. GRIFFEN, AND J. W. S. DEY,l OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SOFA LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

0 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER VAN ZILE, SEARLES M. GRLFFEN, and J. VARREN S. DEY, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a Sofa Life-Boat, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes it from all other things before known and of the usual manner of making, modifying, and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This is an improvement intended to be applied to any shape or build of boat which contains air chambers, whether the boat is built of wood or metal clinker built or smooth built.

The principal novelty consists in the division of the boat in two equal or nearly equal parts from stem to stern directly through the keel in such a manner that the two halves can be entirely separated and again joined together by means of couplings or springs.

lVhen the boat is ready for use or when the two halves are joined the boat will present an ordinary appearance as in Plate No. l of-the accompanying sketches, saving that there will be a deep narrow hold or opening running entirely through the boat in which the feet and legs of the boatmen will find room when engaged in rowing.

lVhen the boatis taken on aboard ship the couplings in the prow can be unfastened and the boat will open on its hinges which are placed in the stem and present the ap- 135771, dated November 6, 1855.

pearance represented in Plate No. 2. The air chambers are represented by D, D, and the top of the air chambers C, C, form convenient seats or sofas.

By withdrawing the pins E, E, from the hinges in the stern of the boat the two sides are disconnected to be used as ship furniture, as represented in Plate No. 3.`

The principal advantages arising from the invention are its double usesas sofa and boat, also the greater lightness that is given to the boat for purposes of t-ransportation by being able to divide it in parts.

7e do not claim broadly, making a life preserver in such manner that it may when out of use for this special purpose be applied to other useful purposes, either with or without change or modification, but

7e do claim as our invention The structure herein set forth the same consisting of two buoyant parts so constructed that when separate they shall each form a settee or sofa and when united a life boat as herein set forth.

New York, Oct 27th, 1854.

PETER VAN ZILE.

his SEARLES M. GRIFFEN.

' mark J. VARREN S. DEY.

lVitnesses as to Peter Van Zile: HENRY M. WHITEHEAD, MARY Louisa VAN ZILE.

Vitnesses as to Griffen and Dey:

CHAS. E. WHITEHEAD, HENRY M. WHITEHEAD'. 

